Usually when the weather gets nicer, model railroading takes a back seat to other activities. Spending time in the basement seems fine when it is 20 degrees outside with snow on the ground. But when it is 75 and sunny, well, you want to get out and do some other things.

I think the challenge is to find ways to enjoy the hobby during the summer season, integrating it into other activities away from the basement and the workbench. Things you can do while watching the baseball game, or sitting out on the deck. And things that are model railroading-related away from the home and can involve other family members. So, here are ten ideas for things you can do this summer to keep model railroading activities going until fall and the cooler weather inevitably return.

1. Stop by the hobby shop and pick up or order Micro-Scale decal sets MC-4168 and MC-4149. These are automobile license plates (in HO; check other manufacturers for your scale). Gather up the cars and trucks on your layout and spend some time while watching the game placing these decals on them. This is an easy to do project and it really stands out, especially in photos.

2. An obvious one might be to build a garden railroad. Instead of a full blown, labor intensive layout, start small just to get your feet wet. Perhaps build just an oval of track or a point-to-point design in an existing flower bed. To start, just put down some track in the gravel and get the family involved in planting the garden, everyone spending time outside. Have fun just running the train and enjoying the nice weather. If you like it, a bigger, permanent railroad can always be built later.

3. Pick up a box of unpainted figures and some paint from the local craft store. Stores such as Michael’s or A.C. Moore often have sales on the craft paint, 2 or more bottles for a $1. These go a long way and can be mixed to get custom colors. Get white, black, red, yellow, blue, brown, green and a flesh color. This can be fun for the family too, an assembly line of different colors. Leave them on the sprue for easier handling. Come fall, you’ll have a population explosion on the layout!

4. Collaborate with a model railroading friend or two to have a family operating session. Plan a barbeque and get the families together. Spend some of that time having family members run the trains like you do in an operating session. A nice relaxed pace with some coaching will keep it fun. Allow plenty of time for some socializing, not a 4 hour marathon of trains.

5. Pick up some stripwood and use a hobby knife or NWSL Chopper to create lumber loads. These can go on cars or flatbed trucks and also be scenic details around structures. Paint the ends colors to match real lumber.

6. On a similar note, how about using some of the sticks and branches that get raked up in the yard to create realistic pulpwood loads? Use a hobby knife, NWSL Chopper or Dremel tool to cut the sticks to length. Determine the length based on your car, be it a pulpwood car, a flatcar or gondola. Pulpwood car loads were short lengths (i.e. 4’) on a v-deck, while others were full width with vertical pieces acting as bulkheads on the ends. Some special cars were loaded lengthwise with longer pieces. Use regular glue or CA to keep the load intact. Nothing looks like wood better than real wood!

7. If you model in HO, pickup some new scale-size couplers and sit out on the deck or patio converting some of your favorite cars. These smaller couplers look great and conversion is an easy task.

8. Get out the map and plan a little railfan trip. This can usually be combined with a family outing to a park or scenic area. Something like a fishing trip near an active mainline. Or perhaps an overnight trip that includes a train ride on a tourist line.

9. Cut some rail to 39’ lengths for use on the layout or as a load. Use a pin vise or Dremel tool to put 2 or 3 holes in the ends to represent the bolt holes found on real rail.

10. Get organized. Gather up all those articles, photocopies, pictures from the Internet and such, and put them into binders. A 3-hole punch, some index tabs and a cool beverage are the only things you’ll need. I keep this data arranged by topics like Freight Car Projects, Structures, Locomotive Projects and Prototype Data by railroad. I also make nice label inserts for these so they look good on the bookshelf. Then next winter when you are working on projects, it will be easier to find the information you are looking for.

11. I said ten, but here is one bonus idea (sure to make the editor happy!) Get a pen and paper, or your laptop, and write an article for the Local. Everyone out there has got at least one tip, railroading story, model project or layout tour that they can share with the group. Spend a little time on it and pick it up now and again during the summer. When it’s done, send it in to Alan!

If you do one of these items each week, you’ll have gotten through the whole summer doing a little bit on your hobby and having something to lead you back into the next model railroading “season” on the right foot. Have a happy and safe summer!

Web page written and maintained by Mike McNamara

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